New Orleans Saints vs. Dallas Cowboys: How Dallas Can Stop New Orleans

A few weeks ago the Cowboys were down and out. Standing at 1-7, an injured quarterback, a newly minted lame duck head coach and a season full of broken dreams pretty much defined the Cowboys season.

In a last ditch effort to try and right what was wrong with the ‘Boys, Dallas owner Jerry Jones fired Wade Phillips, promoting offensive coordinator Jason Garrett to replace him.

All of a sudden the Cowboys have new life and have won both games that Garrett has coached. This Thursday the ‘Boys prepare to face off against possibly the biggest test of Garrett’s young coaching career, the New Orleans Saints.

Last year’s Super Bowl champs head to town to try and end Garrett’s honeymoon and keep pace with the surging Atlanta Falcons in the tough NFC South.

The Cowboys first challenge will be to stop Drew Brees, who has already tossed 22 touchdowns and thrown for almost 3,000 passing yards in just 10 games. Star wide receiver Marques Colston is having a Pro Bowl type of season and New Orleans expects to have Reggie Bush back from injury.

So, how in the world will the Cowboys stop such an offensive powerhouse? It starts with their pass rush and secondary.

In the ‘Boys two victories under Garrett and new defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni Dallas has allowed a combined 662 passing yards. The team’s bend but don’t break strategy has worked for two weeks, but I’m not sure if that strategy will work against Drew Brees.

Yet even with the grand number of passing yards given up by Dallas, they caused three interceptions in those two victories. If Dallas can force New Orleans to turn the ball over as they did against the Giants, then there is a chance that the Cowboys can pull off the upset.

In last year’s contest against the Saints down in New Orleans, the Cowboys pass rush was able to disrupt Drew Brees enough to force him into making errant throws and mistakes. Ware was all over him and the Cowboys pass rush was unstoppable that night.

While the stakes are different in this game there is no reason to believe that the results can’t be the same. DeMarcus Ware is still the same player and has 8.5 sacks this season.

But I think what concerns Cowboys fans the most is the team’s shaky secondary. Dallas is 21^st against the pass and their young secondary looks like it belongs in the FBS instead of the National Football League.

Cornerback Mike Jenkins, who made his first Pro Bowl last season, seems to have fallen off of a cliff this season, and projects Alan Ball and Orlando Scandrick have been nothing short of disappointments.

Turnovers, containment and an offense who controls the clock by pounding the ball is how the Cowboys can win the game and improve their record to 4-7.

Jason Garrett, you’re up.

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